


Superhuman

by wanderingsilverangel



Series: NCT Oneshots [6]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Dance Instructor Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Fluff and Angst, Johnny and Taeyong are soft for Ten, M/M, Mafia Boss Lee Taeyong, Mentioned YuWin, Police Officer Seo Youngho | Johnny, Ten is Rude, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-15 17:45:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19300654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderingsilverangel/pseuds/wanderingsilverangel
Summary: A relationship between a mafia boss, a police officer, and a dance instructor sounds like the start to a bad romcom. They make it work though. So maybe, just maybe, it was a pretty bad idea to kidnap one of them./Mature for Graphic Depictions of Violence/





	Superhuman

**Author's Note:**

> So this is pretty graphic. Like, very very violent. Just a warning before you start reading.

Taeyong can feel the ache settle into his bones after the longest day of his life comes to a close. It had not been a good day. First, he wakes up and both of his boyfriends are already gone, Ten having an early dance practice, and Johnny being called into the police station earlier than usual. Then he goes into work to find out that a lot of important files had been misplaced (he tried not to be too hard on poor Sicheng, the boy was new to this). Around lunch, someone attempted to kill him (that part is pretty typical, but he still found it annoying). His car broke down in the middle of the day, and the list goes on, and on, and on.

Taeyong can feel every muscle in his body relax, his knees almost buckling, at the sight of his apartment door. Glancing at it, Taeyong can tell something isn't right. It's too quiet. Too quiet for both Ten and Johnny to be home with the way the two tend to bicker like a cat and a dog (which oddly enough, fits them as Ten is very much a cat personified, while Johnny is on the opposite side of the spectrum, more of a happy-go-lucky golden retriever). Taeyong clamps down whatever fear courses through his system because he's probably overreacting. Despite his mental reassurance, Taeyong feels his hand drift to the gun holstered at his hip.

His steps are light, placed to be able to spring into any direction needed, as he approaches the door. The jingling of his keys echoes in the cold and dead hallway. Taeyong takes a deep breath before turning the key. Panic claws at his chest as the key meets no resistance. Johnny and Ten would  _never_ keep the door unlocked.  _Maybe they just forgot, it happens,_ Taeyong tries to console himself. However, he finds himself pulling the gun out of the holster and preparing to have to fire it.

Before it slips his mind, Taeyong remembers to check the door for any wires. When he's satisfied he isn't going to blow up the apartment if he opens the door, Taeyong steps inside.

The scene is identical to the one of his nightmares.

His usually immaculate apartment thrown into disarray. Tables thrown to the side, vases smashed on the floor, everything scattered across the ground.

His main concern though, was for his boyfriend, lying unconscious on the floor in a pool of blood. Taeyong comes close to tripping over a table in his rush to reach the elder. His fingers immediately look for a pulse, luckily finding that Johnny's is still there. A little weak, but still there.

Taeyong stands on shaky legs. He takes a few breaths to calm himself before moving throughout the apartment. It doesn't take long to clear the place, the apartment only being big enough for the three- fuck. Taeyong stops dead in his tracks.  _Where the fuck is Ten?_  Taeyong runs through all the rooms again, calling his lover's name in a quiet voice in case the younger is hiding.

Panic bubbles in his chest. Taeyong has to physically force it down. If Ten isn't here, then he might be at the dance studio.  _Yeah, he's probably just out late dancing,_  Taeyong reasons. His immediate thoughts turn to Johnny, who is still currently unconscious.

Taeyong kneels beside him, avoiding the puddle of blood, and shakes Johnny's shoulder. When the elder doesn't respond, Taeyong shakes him harder."Hyung, wake up." He can feel Johnny shifting under his palm. "Hyung, I need you to get up now." That finally pushes Johnny's eyes open.

"Taeyong?" Johnny's voice is groggy and Taeyong winces.

"Hi, Hyung, I'm right here," Taeyong murmurs as he runs his fingers through Johnny's hair. Johnny leans into the touch, hissing a little as Taeyong's fingers graze against the head wound that he didn't even notice. "Sorry. Johnny-Hyung, what the hell happened here? And where's Tennie?"

At their youngest boyfriend's name, Johnny sits straight up. He looks as though he regrets it as he looks at Taeyong. Johnny's normally calm and warm brown eyes hold a new panic that Taeyong hates. He despises that Johnny feels that scared, especially when Taeyong doesn't even know why the eldest is scared.

"Ten isn't here?" Johnny's voice is less groggy, more alert, and more terrified than Taeyong had ever heard him.

"No, isn't he at the studio?" Taeyong asks in a low voice, trying to conceal how close panic was to consuming him.

"No, he- Oh my God, Yong, they took Ten. What the fuck do we do?" Johnny questions, his eyes filling with unshed tears. "God, this is all my fault." Taeyong pulls Johnny's head to his chest and runs his long fingers through Johnny's dark brown hair. Johnny takes deep, ragged breaths, attempting to avoid a panic attack. When he finally calms down, his voice is soft as he asks, "Yong, what do we do?"

"For now, we stay calm. At the present moment, there's nothing we can do for Tennie except hope," Taeyong says bitterly. He hates not being able to do anything. Sitting around and waiting is the worst thing he could do. He needs to be doing something to find Ten. But Taeyong also has to worry about Johnny. Because the elder is right, he was in charge of protecting Ten while Taeyong wasn't there. But Taeyong doesn't blame him. From the fragile way Johnny looks, he's about to fall apart from the guilt. "I'm going to call Dongyoung. If you even attempt to get up, I will shoot you in the leg," Taeyong warns.

Johnny chuckles. "Yes, mafia boss, shooting a cop in the leg is the smart thing to do."

Taeyong rolls his eyes and fishes his phone out of his back pocket. He feels bad for his poor jeans, the knees and shins now a deep red from kneeling in blood. Dialing Dongyoung's number, Taeyong feels dread pool in his stomach. It's close to midnight, the barbed nurse is  _not_ going to be happy to be woken up at this hour.

 _"What the fuck do you want, Lee Taeyong? I know you have your whole 'sleep-is-for-the-weak' thing going on, but some of us actually enjoy being able to function,"_ Dongyoung spits, venom lacing every word. Taeyong winces.

"Sorry, Dongyoung. I need you to come over here," Taeyong says. Dongyoung groans and on his end, the rustling of sheets can be heard.

_"Why?"_

"Possible medical emergency. It's not something I want to explain over the phone." Dongyoung sighs.

_"Fine, I'll be over in five minutes."_

"Thank you, Dongyoung."

"Yong," Johnny calls. Taeyong immediately kneels by the elder's side. "Yong, I'm so sorry. This is my fault. I'm sorry."

"Shut up. Hyung, this wasn't your fault. It was the bastard who took Ten's fault. Don't blame yourself, okay? I need you at the top of your game, okay, that's the only way we're going to find him," Taeyong says firmly as he wipes away the tear rolling down Johnny's face. Johnny throws an arm over his eyes, trying to mask the tears that flow freely. But he can't cover up the way his chest shakes with each sob. Taeyong places a gentle hand on top of Johnny's arm. "Hyung, we will find him. I won't rest until we do."

A knock at the door pulls the both of them out of their misery. Taeyong sighs and stands up. The knocking becomes more urgent the longer it takes Taeyong to get there. When Taeyong finally opens the door, a pissed off Dongyoung greets him. His voice is harsh as he says, "You better have a damn good reason for calling me over here at midnight, Lee Taeyong."

"Johnny-Hyung might have a concussion and Ten has been kidnapped, good enough for you?" Taeyong asks as he pulls Dongyoung into the living room. Dongyoung stops walking and glares at Taeyong.

"The fuck do you mean kidnapped?" Dongyoung snaps. Taeyong knows the other is worried, the barbed tone is how Dongyoung defends himself. However, Taeyong doesn't have the time to deal with it right now.

"Exactly what I said. Now could you please make sure Johnny-Hyung isn't going to pass out the next time he stands up?" Dongyoung scoffs but kneels next to Johnny anyway.

"You just  _had_  to get injured, didn't you?" Dongyoung spits. He inspects Johnny, looking for things Taeyong would've never even known to look for. "You're an idiot, Seo," Dongyoung mutters. Despite the hurtful words, Taeyong can see the worry in the nurse's eyes.

"He's going to be fine. Now could one of you tell me what the actual hell happened here?" Dongyoung looks between the two. Taeyong shrugs.

"I only know the bare minimum. Johnny-Hyung?" Taeyong prompts. The man in question takes a deep breath. He attempts to sit up but Dongyoung's surprisingly gentle hand stops him.

"Don't."

Johnny sighs. "I really don't know a whole lot. Someone knocked on the door around ten o'clock, which is horribly ironic, and I didn't recognize him so I told Ten to go to the bedroom. I barely opened the door and he kicked it in. I tried to fend him off, and we ended up here. He hit me in the temple with the butt of his gun. It knocked me out. There's a hazy part where I can hear Ten screaming but otherwise, everything is dark up until you got home," Johnny says roughly, his face contorted, as though he's in physical pain.  _Which,_  Taeyong supposes,  _is pretty close to the truth_.

"We have to find him," Dongyoung says.  _Of course, that's the first thing out of his mouth,_ Taeyong thinks briefly.

"Of course. We probably need to leave this apartment too. If someone came here to kidnap Ten, then this place is compromised. It would be smart to move to the company building until we can find somewhere else to live," Taeyong says, thinking aloud. Dongyoung nods in agreement.

"I'll see if Yuta-Hyung will live with Sicheng for a little while until you get a new apartment," Dongyoung says. Taeyong chews on his bottom lip. "What is it?"

"Nothing, just thinking," Taeyong assures. After a second thought, Taeyong sighs. "It's just- I mean, how long do we have? What's our window to find him?"

"We have no way of knowing. I guess there's one thing to be grateful for," Dongyoung says.

"And what is that?" Johnny asks bitterly.

"We'll know when he's dead. They want to send a message, otherwise, they wouldn't have broken into your home. At least we'll know," Dongyoung says. The thought sends chills down Taeyong's spine. He knows Dongyoung is right. When they kill Ten, they'll display him like a trophy. Because this is to get back at him, it has to be. That's the only reason someone would go after Ten is to get to Taeyong.

Taeyong stands on shaky legs. "I still have that pull out bed in my office. We can spend the rest of the night there. I'm going to go get clothes for us."

Tears burn behind his eyes and his limbs tremble as he walks to the bedroom. He takes deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. He can't lose it now. Johnny needs him. So does Ten. He can't lose it.

Being so focused on his thoughts, he doesn't notice the piece of clothing on the floor until he's tripped on it. He falls with a thud and a groan. He curls his nose in distaste as he looks to see what made him fall. All of his efforts not to breakdown go down the drain when he sees Ten's favorite hoodie staring back at him.

Taeyong lets out a sob and clutches at the hoodie. He buries his face in the pink material, hoping to muffle his crying. The fact that the hoodie still smells like Ten's favorite shampoo makes Taeyong sob harder.

Being so caught up in his misery, Taeyong didn't even realize that someone came in until he feels Johnny's warm arms pulling him closer. The eldest pulls Taeyong tight against his chest and places a gentle kiss on the crown of Taeyong's head. "We will find him, Taeyong. I promise." Taeyong nods against Johnny's chest, his body still shaking with silent sobs. Johnny pulls him closer.

**\- - -**

The world is black to Ten. Rough material scratches at his bare shoulders. The dried blood caked down the side of his face is cracked, producing an uncomfortable itchy feeling. It's hard to hear over the roar of cars above him, but somewhere, he can hear water dripping in a steady rhythm.

Chains looped over his wrists chafe and leave bruises. They rattle at every small movement.

Rats squeak around him. Ten flinches as one crawls over his foot. His bare feet. As far as Ten can tell, he's only in boxers or shorts. The clothing only comes about halfway down his thigh and it's loose to the point where it isn't in constant contact with his skin.

Every movement sends fire through his shoulders. His arms have been held above his head for an extended period of time, but otherwise, Ten has no indication of what time it is. Especially, with a bag over his head.

Just as he had resigned to the darkness, the bag is ripped violently from his head. His vision starbursts as bright lights invade his sight. When he can see again, he notices a figure leaning against the wall in front of him. His face is shrouded in shadows, the bright lights in front of him leaving his face beyond view.

Ten eyes him carefully and the other tuts. "You should really stop looking at me like that," his deep voice warns, "People might think it's an invitation."

"Fuck off," Ten spits. Yeah, maybe it isn't the smartest decision, but the guy has barely opened his mouth and already managed to piss him off. The man tuts again.

"Come on, little Tennie, play nice," the man chides. Ten spits at his feet. There's a permanent snarl etched into his face. The man walks forward and as his face comes into the light, Ten realizes that he's going to die. If this man is letting him see his face, he has no intention of letting Ten go. Or he'll torture Ten to insanity. For his own sake, Ten prays it's the former.

Harsh fingers grip his jaw and force his head up. He looks into the cold eyes of his kidnapper and sees nothing but malice. His next words are practically growled,  _"I said_ , play nice. I really would hate to have to punish you. But if you're good, maybe I'll show a little bit of mercy and kill you quickly."

"Go to fucking hell," Ten says venomously. He has no idea where he's getting this confidence from, maybe stupidity. That would probably be Johnny's answer.

"Oh, little Tennie, can't you tell? You're already here," he grins, showing off pointed canines in a twisted version of a smile.

The man lets go of Ten's jaw and circles around him, like a predator with his prey. A shudder runs through Ten as he drags his fingers over Ten's back, pressing and prodding in all the most painful spots. Ten grits his teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a scream.

Ten fixes a menacing glare on him once the man walks back into his line of sight. There's a smug smirk on his face as he crosses his arms and leans in close.

"Oh, we're going to have  _so_ much fun, little Tennie," the man purrs in his ear. Ten curls his nose in disgust as a rough hand travels down his torso.

"Fuck you," Ten growls.

"Alright, let me explain the rules. You don't speak unless I ask you a direct question. Screams are welcomed and encouraged, otherwise, you're going to sit there and take what I give you like a pretty little doll. Understood, little Tennie?" Ten glares at him and says nothing.

A sharp sting on his arm almost pulls a cry from him. Instead, he hisses at the pain. Despite the wound not being too deep, Ten can feel drops of blood roll down his arm.

"I would really like for you to understand that this is fun for me. The order was to kidnap you, kill you, then dump you in a public place to take down your boyfriend. However, I wanted to have some fun first. You see, I've got a couple of personal problems with Lee Taeyong, which I won't go into detail about, so this is pure fun for me. I'm sure finding your tortured and mangled body will just kill Lee Taeyong inside. Now, how about you answer my question, little Tennie." The man points the bloody blade at Ten's throat. Ten glares at the man, refusing to back down. He chuckles. "Oh, I'm going to have so much fun with you."

**\- - -**

"Yuta, it's been  _three days_ and no sign of him. No ransom, no notes, nothing! How the hell are we supposed to find him if they give us nothing?" Taeyong asks his second in command as he paces his office.

"Boss, we'll find him. What about Seungcheol-ssi? Maybe he can help," Yuta suggests.

Taeyong sighs. "It can't hurt. I assume you don't need to be told that this conversation is confidential?"

Yuta snorts, not even dignifying the question with a response. Taeyong dials the phone number and waits. He drums his fingers on the desk as he waits for Seungcheol to pick up.

_"Hello?"_

"Hi, Seungcheol-ssi, I need a favor."

_"Of course, you've helped me in the past. What can I do for you?"_

"One of my boyfriends was kidnapped three days ago. Have you heard any rumors through the grapevine?"

_"Can't say that I have. I know of groups that have a grudge against you, but none stupid enough to take the boyfriend of Lee fucking Taeyong. Honestly, who has the balls to pull that off?"_

Taeyong sighs. "I don't know, which is the problem. We have no idea where to start looking. Obviously, they plan to kill him because there's been no notes, no ransom, nothing."

_"I'll get my men on it. BigBang and Got7 might be good places to start."_

"Thanks, Seungcheol-ssi. It's good that there's at least one ally I can trust."

_"Hey, you've saved Seventeen's ass more times than I can count on one hand, it's the least I can do. I'll let you know what I find."_

"Thank you." Taeyong hangs up and turns to Yuta. "I sure as hell hope he finds something. Otherwise, I don't know what to do." Normally, Taeyong would never admit to not knowing, but this is Yuta, someone he's known and worked with for years. Yuta was the first to help him start up his business.

"We'll figure this out. We will find him," Yuta assures. He sounds so confident, Taeyong wants to believe him. Before he can respond, his phone buzzes in his pocket.

 _Meet me at the cafe by your work. I want an update._ Of course, it's Johnny. Taeyong is very quick to reply.

_Too exposed, stop by my office._

_Okay._

"Johnny-Hyung?" Yuta asks. Taeyong nods. "Maybe Johnny-Hyung found something useful."

Taeyong shakes his head. "He was asking for an update. It's a little too hopeful to expect something."

Yuta sighs while Taeyong fights the urge to rip his hair out. A strand of the red locks hangs in front of his eyes. He only dyed it red because Ten thought it would look hot.

"Hey, Boss?" A voice asks from the door. Taeyong looks up to see Sicheng, the newest member of his team.

"Yes?"

"Johnny-ssi is here to see you."

"Thank you, Sicheng-ssi. You can send him in." Taeyong smiles. He genuinely likes Sicheng, it's hard not to. While he likes most of his employees, Sicheng is one of the ones he likes the most. He might be new, but Sicheng learns fast and he's generally enjoyable to be around. It's hard to come by people who don't have a stick up their ass with him.

"Hey, Hyung," Taeyong greets as Johnny walks into the room.

"Hey, Yong." Johnny offers him a tired smile.

"Rough day?"

"It always is with Ten missing," Johnny replies. Yuta slips out, giving the couple some privacy.

"Yeah, it feels like every day is a thousand times longer than usual."

"Have you slept?" Johnny asks.

Taeyong shakes his head. "I can't sleep, not knowing Ten is out there, probably in pain. If I sleep, I'll only see images I don't want to see."

"I know what you mean. I'm scared, Yong," Johnny admits quietly. Taeyong nods and approaches Johnny. He wraps his arms around him and buries his face into Johnny's neck.

"Me too," Taeyong mumbles into Johnny's neck. A breath of relief leaves Johnny when Taeyong admits it. Johnny's warm arms wrap around Taeyong and for once, Taeyong feels safe. He feels safe knowing Johnny is here and that he can protect him. He just wishes he could say the same for Ten.

**\- - -**

It's been days. It has to have been. Ten doesn't have the best sense of time, but he's been down he here too long for it to not have been. The pain makes his head spin so it's not easy to keep track. But he hopes it's been days because his death will be closer and this pain will finally end.

His shoulders ache. Cuts sting. Bruises throb. Every muscle in Ten's body screams in protest of any movement. Ten knows he's close to breaking, so close to crying out and giving his torturer exactly what he wants.

Ten flinches as the door opens. He eyes the man walking towards him with a bottle of water and a plate of food in his hands. His deep voice sends chills of fear down his spine as he says, "I brought food and water. Can't have you dying before the week is up, now can we?" Ten glares with the little strength he has left. "Aw, don't be that way."

"You're a fucking psychopath," Ten spits. Any venom the statement should've had is lost in the rasp of his voice. He's too tired and in too much pain to put any more effort into the insult.

"Actually, I think I qualify as a sociopath," he chirps. The seal on the water bottle cracks with a too loud sound for such a silent space as he opens it. Ten's mouth waters at the thought of food and water but he forces it down. But, he heard the seal crack, so the man can't have drugged it, right? The food is a different story, but the water should be okay, shouldn't it?

Ten doesn't contemplate anymore because he finds himself drinking greedily when the man holds the water up to his lips. Within minutes, Ten has drained the bottle.

When the man holds food up to his lips however, Ten clamps his jaw shut. The man's eye twitches and he becomes a little more forceful in his prodding. Finally, he gives up and drops the fork onto the plate with an exasperated sigh. "Fine then, starve, see if I care."

As the man walks away, hope flutters in Ten's chest. Maybe he'll leave Ten alone. That hope is quickly crushed as the dark-haired man walks back over with a knife in his hands.

It takes three cuts. Only three, before a tear slips down Ten's cheek. It's the first of many to come, Ten knows that. He's sure it won't be long before a scream is pulled from his throat.

He's not wrong when a few minutes later, the knife slices down his thigh, creating a deep gash where blood flows in a river down his leg. The scream that's pulled from his bitten and bloodied lips is nearly inhuman.

His breathing is ragged as he notices the smug smirk on the man's face. He knows it's because Ten finally broke. The man finally got what he wanted.

"Thank you, little Tennie, you finally gave me  _exactly_ what I wanted."

**\- - -**

Taeyong yanks at his hair. He grinds his teeth together in a vain attempt to think of another lead. It's been two days since he talked to Seuncheol. Five days since Ten was kidnapped. Taeyong is losing his mind.

"Sir?" A small voice questions. Taeyong jumps at the sound of Sicheng's voice. He didn't even hear the other walk in. "Are you alright?"

"Not really. Is there something you needed?"

"Oh, I was just coming to tell you that Seungcheol-ssi is here." Taeyong immediately jumps up, regretting it slightly when he sways a little. "He's waiting in your office."

Taeyong nods before brushing past the younger in a rush. He's quick to enter his office and greet Seungcheol.

"As much as I enjoy the pleasantries, I need to know what you found," Taeyong says after a minute or so of small talk. Seungcheol's previously easy-going smile drops and morphs into a more serious look.

"I won't lie, it's not good," Seungcheol starts. Taeyong grips the desk in preparation for the bad news. "Do you want to decent news or the bad news first?"

"Bad news," Taeyong states. He needs to rip the bandage off.

"The bad news is that they hired The Reaper." Taeyong sucks in a sharp breath. Oh God, every last breath of hope Taeyong had is crushed in an agonizing grip. Seungcheol places a gentle hand on Taeyong's shoulder as the latter braces himself against the desk.

"Who the hell is The Reaper?" Johnny asks from the door. Taeyong's head snaps up.

"What are you doing here, Hyung?" Taeyong asks.

"I took an early lunch, now answer my question, who the hell is The Reaper?" Johnny steps into the room and closes the door behind him. He sets what Taeyong assumes is a bag of food down on the coffee table.

"He's the most psychotic assassin to ever walk the streets of Seoul," Seungcheol answers. Johnny sits on the couch and braces his elbows on his knees. His hands grip together tightly.

"And this bastard has Ten?" Johnny's voice is strangely calm for how pissed off his posture is. Taeyong nods, not able to meet Johnny's eyes. "Who hired him?"

"I don't know," Seungcheol admits. "I heard this through the grapevine. No one's talking about who hired him though. However, I do have some good news."

"Let's hear it," Johnny says.

"We have two days. The deadline is on Sunday."

"How the fuck is that good news?"

"Because we have a lead on where he is."

"What?" Taeyong screeches. "And you're only telling us now?"

"Because you told me you wanted the bad news first."

"Okay, let's just calm down. What's your lead?" Johnny asks.

"The Reaper is known for his overkill. Which means he needs somewhere quiet and secluded. My people have been trying to find this guy for months. We've searched every warehouse and abandoned place in the city. The only place he could be is the sewers."

"The sewers are miles long, he could be anywhere," Johnny groans.

"Wrong. The sewers in lower-class districts are filled with homeless people sheltering from the elements. He needs privacy. Which means he has to be in the middle or upper-class sewers." Taeyong is about to cut in about how that's still a large area to cover but Seungcheol holds his hand up. "The city is hosting a massive project to redo most of the sewer systems. The only area not under renovation at the moment is Gangnam."

"Fuck, you're kidding. He's been right under our noses?" Johnny curses.

"Correct, I haven't decided if it's brilliant or stupid," Seungcheol affirms.

"I'd say stupid if you're right about this," Taeyong scoffs.

"Ah, but if we hadn't been looking before this, we would've never found him," Seungcheol argues.

"Are we seriously arguing about whether this bastard is clever or not?" Johnny asks incredulously. "We should be focusing on what we're doing to find him."

"Agreed. Do you have people searching?" Taeyong asks, the question directed at Seungcheol.

"Yeah. They weren't very happy about it, but we're allies and most of them actually like Ten so they didn't complain too much."

"Good. I'll send a team out and we can coordinate communication. I assume your people will search one half while we search the other?"

"Yeah, I've got my people in-" Seungcheol is cut off by his phone ringing. He frowns when he sees the caller ID. "Sorry, this is Wonwoo, I have to take this."

Johnny has his head hanging between his knees when Taeyong sits next to him. Johnny's voice is quiet, barely above a hoarse whisper when he asks, "What if we don't find him? Yong, what if we're too late?"

"I don't know, Hyung, I really don't know," Taeyong answers as he leans his head against Johnny's shoulder. He can hear Seungcheol's muffled voice through the door to his office. Taeyong wants so badly to just tune out and pretend this isn't happening. To pretend Ten is safe, curled up in his arms. But Taeyong can't do that. Because he has to find Ten.

Seungcheol bursts back into the room with a frenzied look on his face. "Taeyong-ssi, get a team together. Wonwoo found him."

**\- - -**

Ten spits the blood pooling in his mouth out. He barely has the energy. It's all he can do not to pass out. As it is, black dots swim across his vision.

"Do you know who I am now?" The man asks, sick curiosity lacing his voice. Ten struggles to find the energy to speak. Of course, he's had theories. But up until the past few hours, Ten didn't actually know. He's pretty sure now though. Only one person could be so cruel.

Ten chokes down a whimper when the man drags the flat of the blade down his spine. "Come on, little Tennie, you were doing so good."

"The Reaper, you're The Reaper," Ten rasps, his voice hoarse from the screams. Of course, Ten doesn't know the full details of the assassin, but he has enough of an idea to know that The Reaper is the only one who could ever be psychotic enough to do this.

"Ooh, you're good. If only I didn't have to kill you. Such a shame-" The blade moves to Ten's arm. Every muscle in his body tense, just waiting for more pain. "-to lose someone so pretty."

A high-pitched wail forces itself out of Ten's throat as the knife cuts into his arm. His back arches and more tears fall when Ten had thought his eyes had dried out for good. He can almost  _hear_ the smug smile on The Reaper's face.

"Ah, so pretty. Your screams are music to my ears," The Reaper murmurs. "Your deadline is coming up pretty soon, doll. I wonder if your precious Taeyong will come before then?"

Another sob falls from his lips at the mention of his boyfriend. God, he just wants to die. He wants to get on his knees and beg for a merciful death. He doubts The Reaper would give it to him.

Another scream echoes through the room as the blade digs into his hip. When the blade is removed, Ten falls limp, his breathing ragged.

"Do you think Taeyong will come?" The question isn't a shock to Ten, just another way to torture him. Ten doesn't know. He doesn't know anymore. He's too tired. And everything is too painful. He doesn't know. Ten flinches when the blade, warm and sticky with his blood, presses into his side.

"Answer my question, doll," The Reaper purrs.

"I don't know," Ten whispers.

"But I bet you hope he will," he says. "I don't think he's going to make it, though. I bet, that when he finds you, it's going to be when I dump your mangled body in a dumpster. I'll bet, he's going to sob just like you are, ripped to pieces on the inside. Or who knows, maybe he'll move on to the next whore because you don't mean anything to him. Just another fuckbuddy. Another sad little prostitute who fell into Lee Taeyong's trap." Ten flinches at the mention of his past. "Oh yes, little Tennie, I know all about your slutty days. I know all about you." He punctuates each word with a tap of the blade.

With his words, the last bit of hope dies. Every piece of him is broken.

**\- - -**

The back of the van is quiet in anticipation. Johnny looks around at the men in the seats surrounding him. He doesn't know most of them. Yuta and Lucas are the only ones that Johnny has met but if Taeyong trusts them, he should too.

He meets eyes with Taeyong, who's sitting across from him, and Johnny can see the steely determination shining in his dark eyes. There's a bloodlust that Johnny hasn't ever seen before, however, he completely understands it. He might be a police officer, but he wants the man who hurt Ten dead. He isn't going to stop Taeyong if he wants to be the one to do it.

"Our first priority is finding Ten," Taeyong says. "However, if you get a chance, don't hesitate to shoot The Reaper."

In a few minutes, the van stops and the driver announces they're at the location. Johnny takes a deep breath before stepping out of the van. He has absolutely no idea what they're walking into. None of them do.

Yuta makes quick work of pulling the manhole cover off and sliding gracefully down the ladder. Taeyong goes next quickly followed by Lucas. Then Johnny drops down. Their boots echo with loud thuds as they drop down, one by one.

"We'll have to split up, Seungcheol's contact wasn't specific about where he is, just that he's in this area," Taeyong says once they're all down. "Johnny-Hyung, Yuta-Hyung, Lucas, Mark and I will go-"

A chilling scream rips through the air, lifting the hairs on the back of Johnny's neck. He makes eye contact with Taeyong. Taeyong's voice shakes a little as he says, "New plan, we go this way."

The walk is slow, all of them trying not to make any loud movements that could tip The Reaper off. Johnny would never admit it to anyone, but he's terrified. He's been on sting operations before and not one has ever scared him to this extent. Maybe it's because of what's on the line. Ten's life is on the line. If they fuck this up, Ten is dead. That scares Johnny more than anything in the world.

Another scream echoes, sounding louder and more haunting than the first. Another follows, sounding more like a wail than a scream. Johnny doesn't want to know what The Reaper is doing.

Finally, they come across a door. The screams and sobs come from inside. Johnny sees Lucas push the door open a little bit more. Lucas pulls a gun from his belt and takes aim. It's a minute or so before Lucas actually fires but it seems like an eternity.

Before Lucas has even cleared the room, Taeyong is slamming the door open and stalking towards The Reaper. Johnny can see him place his foot against The Reaper's throat and press down. He decides that his energy would be better spent helping Ten, rather than watching Taeyong.

Gently, Johnny lifts Ten up to reduce the tension in the chains. Once he does, it's easy to undo Ten's wrists. He barely remembers to lower Ten's arms slowly, quickly remembering when he sees tears gathering in Ten's eyes. Quickly, Johnny pulls his jacket off and pulls it around Ten.

"Johnny-Hyung," Ten whispers. Rage rips through Johnny at how broken Ten's voice is.

"Hyung, get him out of here," Taeyong orders.

"Don't do anything to get yourself caught." Johnny carries Ten out. The man in his arms grips Johnny's shoulders weakly.

It doesn't take long to get back to the ladder. However, it's only now that Johnny remembers that he can't climb up with Ten in his arms. Chewing on his bottom lip, Johnny weighs his options.

"Tennie, I need you to do something for me, okay?" Johnny asks gently. Ten lifts his head up and nods. "I need you to hang on, okay? I can't hold you up and climb at the same time. Can you do that for me?" Another nod. "Okay, thank you. This is the last thing you need to do, then you can rest. I promise."

The grip on his shoulders gets a little tighter, but not by much. Johnny hopes it's enough as he begins to climb.

Johnny breathes a sigh of relief as he finally gets to the top. That relief sinks into his bones and every inch of him. He has to genuinely fight back tears when he reaches the van. As he sits down with Ten in his lap, Johnny can't help but think how grateful he is.

How grateful he is to have Ten back. How grateful he is to have Ten alive. How grateful he is for Taeyong because without him, Johnny doubts he would've survived.

Johnny pulls Ten closer, terrified that if he let's go, Ten won't be there.

It's a while later when Taeyong finally pulls himself from the sewer, drenched from head to toe in what Johnny hopes isn't his own blood. Johnny is glad Ten is asleep, he wouldn't want to see this. Taeyong settles into the seat next to them. He wipes his hand on a clean part of his shirt before reaching out to stroke Ten's face. "I really thought we had lost him."

"Get some sleep, Yong. I'll wake you up when we get there," Johnny urges. Taeyong nods, leaning his head against Johnny's shoulder.

Johnny is extremely glad Ten is asleep when the other members of the team jump into the van dragging a bag that smells strongly of blood behind them.

**\- - -**

It's a while later, after everyone else had been dropped off, that they finally arrive back at Yuta's apartment. The man had very kindly lent his apartment to them until they could find a new one. In the meantime, Yuta had gone to stay with his boyfriend.

Johnny gently shakes Taeyong's shoulder. Taeyong startles and practically jumps out of the seat. "Shh, it's okay Yong. We're back at the apartment."

"Oh, okay. We need to call Dongyoung," Taeyong says lowly. Johnny nods in agreement.

"We need to get cleaned up first. Dongyoung will flip his shit if he sees you and Ten like this," Johnny whispers. Taeyong nods. They don't say any more as they walk up to the apartment. Taeyong fumbles with the keys for a second before finally getting the door open. Johnny knows they're going to be tracking grime and blood into the house but he can't find the energy to care at the moment. For once, Johnny praises the horrible interior decorating sense of Nakamoto Yuta as he sets Ten down on the black couch.

Taeyong wanders off to the kitchen and once Johnny is sure Ten is asleep, he follows. He finds Taeyong gripping the counter with pale knuckles and ragged breaths. He cautiously walks forward, careful not to make too sudden of moves. Gently, Johnny places his hand over Taeyong's. The latter doesn't pull away so Johnny relaxes just a little.

He relishes in the size difference. It makes him smile that Taeyong is supposed to be this big bad mafia boss is so much smaller than him. Of course, Ten is smaller than both of them, which Johnny and Taeyong both take pleasure in.

"I don't think I can do this again, Hyung. I really, oh God, I really thought we lost him," Taeyong chokes out, tears rolling down his cheeks. Johnny opens his arms, a silent invitation. Taeyong launches himself into Johnny's arms and cries into his chest. With this quiet moment, the stress of the past week melts away.

A loud thud shakes them from their daze. "Johnny-Hyung? Taeyong-Hyung?" Ten's panicked shouts have them rushing into the living room in seconds. Tears are already traveling down Ten's face by the time they get there. Taeyong wipes away his own tears in favor of pulling Ten onto his lap.

"Shh, Tennie, baby, it's okay, we're right here," Taeyong coos, rubbing circles into uninjured parts of Ten's back. Johnny sits beside them and grabs Ten's hand. He runs his fingers through Ten's hair in an attempt to calm him down.

"I thought you guys left," Ten hiccups, tears still steadily streaking down his face.

"Sweetheart, we'd never leave you, okay?" Johnny says as he presses a kiss to the hand he's holding. Ten nods and buries his face into Taeyong's neck.

"It's one of those things he'd always ask," Ten says with a shaky voice. Johnny glances at Taeyong. Just one look tells him that Taeyong has no idea where this is going either. There's a viciously mocking tone when Ten speaks again, "'Where's your boyfriend? Isn't he going to save you?', 'I bet he doesn't even care about you, little Tennie, he's already moved on', 'your deadline is coming up, little Tennie, isn't precious Taeyong going to come save you?'" Ten's voice breaks and a sob claws its way out of his throat.

"It's okay, you're safe now. He can't hurt you or anyone else ever again," Taeyong murmurs. Ten's sobs lessen until it's the slow trickle of tears down his cheeks.

"Did you kill him, Hyung?" Johnny freezes and glances at Taeyong.

"Yeah, I did."

A dark chuckle falls from Ten's lips. It's a sound that sends a shudder down Johnny's spine. "Good."

They're quiet for a while, content to just enjoy being alive with each other. Ten's breathing finally evens out and Taeyong decides it's time for them to get up and clean up. They can clean up the actual apartment tomorrow but all of them need showers.

Taeyong jumps in first while Johnny attempts to get the blood off of Ten. He scrubs gently with a washcloth, careful around wounds so he doesn't reopen them. There are only a few particularly nasty ones that Ten flinches at if Johnny so much as brushes up against them. The blood caked across his face comes off easily revealing a mostly healed cut and a nasty bruise. Johnny guesses that it's from The Reaper knocking him out.

"Everything going alright here?" Taeyong asks as he steps out of the bathroom.

"Yeah, it's a little difficult to clean around the bad ones without reopening anything, but I'm managing," Johnny replies.

"We could run a bath," Taeyong suggests. "It might make getting the blood off easier."

"True," Johnny agrees. He turns to Ten, "Do you think you're up for that?"

Ten nods, his eyelids drooping. Taeyong reenters the bathroom to start a bath, in the meantime, Johnny attempts to work out the best way to get Ten's shorts off. He finally manages it and lifts Ten up. Johnny sets him down on the counter and then turns to see how Taeyong is doing with the bath.

Before he gets further than a few inches away, small fingers grab his wrist. Johnny turns to see Ten's eyes wide and begging. "Please, don't go," his voice is small and barely above a whisper. Johnny steps closer so that he's between Ten's legs and wraps his arms around him.

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart. I promise. Yong, how's the bath?"

"Nearly done."

Taeyong stands up a few minutes later to come to stand beside them. He drops a gentle kiss on Ten's shoulder, barely brushing his lips against his skin. "Done."

Johnny nods and lifts Ten up again. He places him down in the water. Ten grits his teeth and Johnny almost worries before the pained expression disappears and a more relaxed one takes its place. Taeyong stands up to leave and Ten reaches out to grab him. He misses so Johnny grabs Taeyong's wrist for him. "Ten wants you to stay."

A soft smile overtakes Taeyong's face. "Of course, baby."

The water turns a faint pink after a while and Johnny decides it's just going to be easier to scrub the remaining blood off. They can worry about a proper bath tomorrow. Right now, they just need Ten clean enough to sleep comfortably.

When they're done, Taeyong helps Ten throw on one of Johnny's softest hoodies and a pair of shorts. Johnny is in the shower so they just lay on the bed curled up against one another. Johnny steps out of the bathroom to see Ten and Taeyong nearly asleep. He smiles at the sight.

"Yong, don't you need to call Dongyoung?" Johnny asks.

"Oh God, he's about to kill us," Taeyong groans. Johnny raises an eyebrow.

"Why is that?"

"Because we've been home for nearly three hours and didn't tell him."

"Oh, good luck with that." Johnny winces and pats Taeyong on the shoulder. Ten giggles cutely. Taeyong sighs dramatically as he pulls out his phone.

"Hey, Dongyoung," Taeyong greets as he puts the phone on speaker. "I need you to come down a check Ten's injuries. Just to make sure there's nothing that'll kill him."

 _"Ten? Isn't he-OH YOU ABSOLUTE DICK!"_ Dongyoung screeches.  _"You found him and brought him back without telling me? What the fuck, Taeyong?"_ Ten can barely hold back his laughter.  _"I'll be there in five minutes."_

"Don't you live ten minutes from Yuta's?"

 _"I'll be there in five minutes,"_ Dongyoung repeats before hanging up the phone. Taeyong doesn't want to think about the number of traffic laws Dongyoung is about to violate. Ten bursts into laughter a few seconds later. The sound makes Taeyong and Johnny feel at ease like Ten is really home.

"I'm very glad my pain amuses you, Ten," Taeyong fake pouts. Ten just giggles.

"I'm glad to be home," Ten says quietly.

"We're very glad to have you home," Johnny says, a loving expression on his face.

They lay like this for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company. It's nice until the doorbell rings. Taeyong groans but obligingly gets up to answer the door. A loud thud is heard and Johnny assumes that Dongyoung pushed past Taeyong to get inside.

"You're a fucking idiot, Ten," Dongyoung says when he walks into the room. Of course, that's the first thing Dongyoung says.

"Thanks, I really needed that after this past week," Ten rasps. Dongyoung rolls his eyes.

"If you pull something like this again, I'll have your head on a pike," Dongyoung threatens. In a quieter voice, he adds, "You had us worried, you idiot."

"Could you please get on with it?" Taeyong asks from the doorway, rubbing his head. Dongyoung rolls his eyes but moves towards Ten. Taeyong takes a seat on the bed next to Johnny.

Johnny averts his eyes when Dongyoung asks Ten to take his hoodie off. He doesn't want to see the damage again. Dongyoung sucks in a sharp breath before getting to work. His fingers move deftly, wrapping the things he needs to and applying antiseptics to all of the open wounds.

"Okay, well there's not much else I can do. It's going to be a long recovery," Dongyoung says when he finishes, "I'm more worried about your shoulders than anything else. Make sure you don't strain them too much. You got extremely lucky in the fact that you didn't pull anything. Just be careful, okay?"

"I will, Hyung. Thank you," Ten says, slightly flattered and unnerved by Dongyoung's newfound niceness.

"I'm going to get going now. Stay safe."

"You too," Taeyong replies as he lets him out. Taeyong flops back onto the bed when he gets back. He quickly finds residence on Ten's less injured leg. Ten smiles sleepily and runs his fingers gently through Taeyong's tangled hair.

"Let's go to sleep, okay?" Johnny says quietly. Ten nods. The maneuver into comfortable positions. They take comfort in each other's warmth and fall asleep to the sound of each other's breathing. 


End file.
